Clinical and prognostic insights into radiation-associated angiosarcoma: a multi-institutional analysis
By: Harbrücker, Melissa, Hoffmann, Sebastian, Thiel, Johannes Tobias, Jacob-Rehfeld, Noelle Samira, Christ, Sebastian M., Daigeler, Adrien, Duprée, Anna, Ehret, Felix, Flörcken, Anne, Hohenberger, Peter, Kasper, Bernd, Reißfelder, Christoph, Jakob, Jens, Kneser, Ulrich, Strübing, Felix, Striefler, Jana Käthe, Roohani, Siyer

BioMed Central
2026-08-19; doi: 10.1186/s13014-026-02895-w

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate oncological outcomes and prognostic factors in patients with radiation-associated angiosarcoma (RAAS) treated at referral centers.

Methods

We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study of patients with histopathologically confirmed primary or recurrent RAAS treated at four referral centers in Germany. Endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Prognostic factors were assessed using multivariable Cox regression.

Results

Among 71 patients (97.2% female; median age 69 years), 90% had a history of breast cancer treated with radiotherapy (RT). RAAS developed after a mean latency of 7 years, with a median RT dose of 59.4 Gy. Over a median follow-up of 13.0 months, OS reached a median of 41.7 months, with 1- and 2-year rates of 82.9% and 61.7%, respectively. Median PFS was 9.5 months, with 1- and 2-year rates of 43.7% and 27.1%. Larger tumor size (HR 1.09, p = 0.032) and metastatic disease at diagnosis (HR 2.98, p = 0.003) were associated with worse OS.

Conclusions

RAAS are aggressive, frequently relapsing malignancies occurring years after RT. Larger tumor size and metastatic presentation are associated with worse OS. Multi-institutional and translational studies are needed to clarify disease biology, refine risk factors, and guide treatment strategies.







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